Improvement in processes for the manufacture of iron



UNITED STATES Pa'rmvfr @einen CHARLES ADAMS, OF PHILADELPHlA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF IRON.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,226, dated November 2'8,1871.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ADAMS, of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Process for Manufacturing Iron direct from the Ore, of which the following is a specication:

The object of my invention is to convert the ore directly into wrought-iron, cast-iron, or steel without iirst subjecting it to the usual tedious and expensive process of extracting or separating the metal in a blast-furnace; and my invention consists in subjecting the molten ore-melted in a cupola-furnace, and thence conveyed into the basin or hearth of areheatingfurnace-to the operation and treatment of carbonio oxide gas, or carbonio or hydrogen separately or combined, in a heated condition not less in temperature than 80()O Fahrenheit, and at the same time, during the process and while being acted upon by the gases, maintaining the molten ore in the same iiuid and heated condition in which it comes from the cupola-furnace.

The manner in which my process is carried on and its operation are as follows: Any of the ordinary iron ore as it comes from the mine is melted in a cupola, in which there should be, by preference, a hot blast. When thus melted the molten mass is suii'ered to run in a conduit made in the body of the reheating-furnace, and of suitable material to sustain the heat, into the basin or hearth of the reheatin g-furnace, which is placed lower than the bottom ofthe cupola, so that the molten mass will, when desired, run into the basin by its own gravity. When the basin is full, which should be of sufficient capacity to receive the whole of a charge from the cupola, carbonicoxygen gas, or carbon or hydrogen, or the two combined, are introduced into the molten mass by means of a suitable steam force-pump, which forces the gas into the molten ore through an aperture or a number of apertures in the bottom of the basin. When carbonio oxide is used I obtain it from a gas-generator by turning the blast from the cupola through the anthracite or bituminous or other carbonaceous fuel in the generator; and I have found that it is necessary to have a column of from flve to seven feet in height or depth of heated carbonaceous matter to secure the production of carbonio oxide, for if the column be less it produces carbonio acid, which is injurious and destroys the effect intended. The gas thus obtained must be of a temperature not less than 8000 Fahrenheit, and it comes into contact with the molten. ore as carbonio oxide, (or, when hydrogen is used, carbonated hydrogen.) When the gas comes in contact with the molten ore it de-A oxidises it by taking up a portion ofthe oxygen, and thus forms carbonio-acid gas, which is all the time passing off into the blast of the reheatingfurnace. This production of carbonio acid, from its action upon the melted ore, has an effect to cool the molten ore, and when the gas and ore are not kept tothe temperature required-that is to say, the ore to the temperature in which it was introduced into the basin from the cupola, and the gas to that of not less than 8000 Fahrenheit-the acid forming will cool the molten ore about the orifice of the pipes and form a crust and plug up the opening, and the process will fail by reason of the crusting and cooling; but with the molten ore kept at the high temperature in which it comes from the cupola, or even higher, and the gas kept at not less than S000 Fahrenheit, the carbonio acid forming does not injuriously cool the mass, and rapidly passes off, and, coming in contact with the hot atmosphere from the reheating-furnace, it adds to the heat in the rehearing-chamber. There is necessarily a considerable degree of pressure arising from the forcing of the gas by the pump and the resistance of the molten mass of ore, which causes the gas to permeate the mass and to cause the carbonicacid gas to pass off rapidly. The melted ore or product is balled, suitable for manufacturing into iron directly, by the waste-gases before passing oif into the chimney-stack. To make castiron, wroughtiron, or steel by this process it is requisite that the process should be continued so long as to leave in the mass the requisite amount of carbon-the cast-iron having more, steel less, and the wrought-iron still less;

From the foregoing description of my process it will be evident that any arrangement of the cupola, gas-gen erator, and reheating-furnace may be adopted which will secure the application of the gas in its temperature not less than 8000, and the reheating of the melted ore, so that the molten mass shall not cool of itself or be injuriously cooled by carbonio acid forming when the gas comes into contact with the molten ore, and that a considerable range and varietyof construction in apparatus may be permitted without departing from my invention. lVIy invention is the process and not an apparatus. Nevertheless, for

the purpose of fully illustrating my invention and the means of carrying it into effect in a proper and successful manner, I now proceed to describe the apparatus such as I have used, and which effectually carries out the process and invention.

In the accompanying drawing is represented in side elevation the arrangement of a cupolafurnace, a reheating-furnace,the conduit from the cupola to the basin ofthe furnace for reheating, the basin, and openings for the introduction of the gas under the molten ore, and other parts constituting` a suitable apparatus. The generator is not shown, as any suitable generator may be used. I prefer that described in Letters Patent granted to me bearing date December 21, 1869, and numbered 98,139.

A is a cupola-furnace, which may be construct ed in any of the various forms used in cupola-furnaces where great heat is required. a a is a bridge or raised platform by which fuel and ores are carried to the charging-door of the furnace. B is the stack of the reheating-furnace B. The furnace has a door, e, similar to the door used for puddling, opening` and closing as desired. The door is placed at the extremity ofthe upper end of the basin f, so as to enable the puddler to make and roll up his balls from the melted ores, the shape of the hearth or bottom of the basin having an incline so that the slag and refuse from the ball will fall back, as it is separated, into the basin; and after the charge is puddled the refuse can be run oft' preparatory to another charge being introduced into the basin. g is the furnace-door for introducing the fu el of the reheat-A ing-furnace. h represents the grating. i isa door suitable for admitting a workman and materials for repairing into the furnace or cleaning out. 7c

represents the openings from the pipe from thep gas-generator at the bottom of the basin, and of the molten ore therein. lis the conduit from the cupola-well to the basin. It must be on an in cliue, and passes from the cupola through the stack of the reheating-furnace, and discharges the melted ore upon the upper end ofthe basin, where it runs down until the basin is full; this conduit must be suitably lined with fire-clay or sand, or a mixture of lire-clay, sand, and black lead or anthracite dust, as must also be the hearth ot' the basin. The passage or opening from the cupola for the molten ore to pass out is stopped by a clay plug, which is knocked away when the charge is to be introduced into the basin. When the charge is introduced into the basin the outlet of the cupola is closed by the plug being renewed. A cock suitably placed in the generatorpipe is opened. rEhe blast being then turned from the cupola to the generator, the gas, forced in by the pump, acts upon the melted mass and deoxidizes the ore and purifies it. The heat from the fuel of the reverbaratory furnace acts upon the molten ore and upon the puddling of the balls during the process. The puddling is continued until all the iron in the ore is puddled into the balls, and the slag or refuse afterward topped oft from the basin. The reverberatory, as Well as the cupola, is of the ordinary construction. In order to render the passage of the molten mass of ore as rapid as possible into the basin and thereby preserve it from cooling, the cupola and reh eating-furnace should be placed as near to each other as convenience will permit. The pipe for conducting the gas into the bottom of the basin must be bent so as not to allow the Huid ore to pass into it. It may be made to run perpendicularly, through the reheating-furnace, to the opening where the gas meets the molten ore.

Having thus described my process and the means of operatin g and carrying the same into effect, I-do not claim the application or use of the reducing agents, carbon or its various compounds, these being the ordinaryagents used in reducing metallic oxides 5 but What I claim as my invention, and what I desire to secure by Letters Patent therein, is as follows:

The manufacture of iron direct from the ore, without the use of a blast-furnace,bythe process of melting the ores in the cupola-furnace, and the use and operation of carbon or hydrogen, separately or combined, or carbonic oxide, applied to the molten ore in a highly-heated conditionthat is to say, at a temperature of not less than 800O Fahrenheit-and which, being brought into contact with the molten ore maintained at the high temperature, in which it comes from the cupola, by the reheating-furnace, thus deoXidizes and puries the ore and separates it suitably for balling, substantially as described.

CHARLES ADAMS. Witnesses:

SAML. P. JoNEs, Jr.,l J oHN HIRAN. 

